Songs, Songs, Songs

Try Sleeping with A Broken Heart-Alicia Keys
Ms. Keys is back, releasing a new album, The Element of Freedom, in December. The first single, Doesn't Mean Anything flopped on the Billboard Hot 100, but here is the beautiful second single, Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart. It's the best thing she's done in a few years (I wasn't a big No One fan). Its got big drums and bits that sound like lightning bolts in an 80's video game. The chorus is fantastic with Keys' defiantly singing: "I'm gonna find a way to make it, without you tonight" Classic Keys. I'm very curious about her new album now.


Orally Fixated-Roisin Murphy
Electro diva Roisin Murphy has released a new single, Orally Fixated. It's very different than all her other stuff. Very sexy with the beat kind of doubling back on itself, stopping and starting at points. The strutting, stuttering beat fades in and out after the chorus. It's quite naughty and delicious. Best bit: "Orally fixated. Never satiated." Can't wait for her new album.



Acapella-Kelis
I never expected to be writing about Milkshake singer, Kelis, on this blog, but this week she's gone and posted her new song, Acapella, online, and it's quite fantastic. It's produced by dance man David Guetta (When Love Takes Over, Sexy Chick, I Gotta Feeling)and features a strutting rhythm and beat similar to Roisin's Orally Fixated. I love the idea of the song that Kelis' life was always acapella before she met this person who her life became a fully orchestrated song. Okay, I know very cheesy, but very effective in a song. I'm super excited for her new album now.



3 Words-Cheryl Cole and Will.I.Am
Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud released her debut solo album in the UK last month and it is a huge hit. Her next single is the dark and sensual, late night clubbing slow burner 3 Words which features Black Eyed Pea and producer, Will.I.Am. It's probably the best song on the album. Anyway, the video premiered today and it's quite lovely. There are dancers with fabric across their faces going loco and Cheryl looks quite stunning. Better than the Fight for This Love video. Her black and gold outfit around 1:52 is gorgeous and Lady GaGa-ish. A lot of the video seems influenced by Lady Gaga especially when Cheryl sports an odd-looking blond wig. Very cool concept though. I like how it is pretty much set in one, museum-like room with a stained glass window. Very interesting Cheryl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfiWXIQ85ho

Mind Blown

Lady GaGa's new video for Bad Romance premiered on Tuesday and it is potentially her best video yet possibly even topping the absolute over the top decadence and drama of the splendid Paparazzi video. First off: the costumes are out of this world. It's sexy and alluring and weird. GaGa wears a stunning, ridiculous polar bear coat, a diamond encrusted top, a bizarre red top, and crazy tall high heels called Armadillos made by the English designer Alexander McQueen. The plot of the video is that GaGa is being sold into the Russian sex slave trade and she rebels and sears her buyer alive in a bed. It is genius. The dancing is odd and awesome. Le Lady looks truly beautiful in this video. My favorite parts: the dance routine when GaGa is being auctioned off in her diamond outfit, the fiery dance routine in the red outfit near the end, the part where the diamonds are suspended around her in the air and she's standing in the middle of a circle of men (the dark shoes in that scene are gorgeous), and the end bit when she enters in the polar bear coat then takes it off and the bed catches on fire, killing her horrible buyer. Also the end is hilarious when she's lying in the bed looking somewhat like Amy Winehouse smoking a cigarette with her cone bra emitting sparks, next to the burnt bones of the evil Russian man. There's also the bit where she is in flames, posing inher polar bear coat. Classic. Oh wait, and there's the crazy big eyes, the freaky cat, and the close ups of her crying! Overall, this video is a triumph that cleans the floor with pretty much every other video out there as well as every other major pop song out there. GaGa's vision is wonderfully original and passion-filled. She inspires me. I wish I was as brave and daring as her. This video is a huge present to the pop music world. I'm infatuated. I don't think my description does it justice. Just watch:

Here are some new photos for her new album The Fame Monster as well as new weird photos from Vogue (I adore the one where she's holding the pot and spoon--regard the shoes!) and retro ones from Vanity Fair Italy that look like old school lingerie ads and propaganda posters. Also, the Alexander McQueen shoes of amazingness (thanks to Coco Perez.com). Ahh, je t'adore, GaGa.

Beautiful Electro

Little Boots next single in the UK is the lovely Earthquake. Bootsy looks absolutely stunning in the video with her gray and purple dress. There are some splendid, gentle "oh woah woahs" and beautiful, soaring high vocals. Good electro pop for the end of fall.



Mini Viva are a new British gal duo (Britt Love and Frankee Connolly), who released their first single, Left My Heart in Tokyo, in the UK in September. They were brought together by genius producers Xenomania (they do the Girls Aloud albums). Their second single is perfect for late fall and early winter. It's called I Wish and I'm quite in love with it. Popjustice was right when they compared it to Girls Aloud's hit from fall 2007, Call the Shots except I Wish is gentler. Britt Love, on left, has a slightly odd, brassy voice that adds a little something extra to their songs. The best section of I Wish is the part that comes after the chorus and at the end:

And I go oh no
He could be the one who hits the light inside my soul
Oh baby, This could be the last of my control
And I go oh no
He could be the one who hits the light inside my soul
Oh baby, This could be the last of my control

Lovely, sweet lyrics. Another great entry in the "sad disco" genre. Also, wonderfully metallic and shiny single cover. I can't wait to hear the rest of the album now. Check out the video below:

I WANT YOUR PSYCHO

Lady GaGa's new single, Bad Romance, from the re-release of The Fame (entitled The Fame: Monster) was premiered on UK radio station BBC Radio 1 this morning and it is a beast! It's another RedOne collaboration (he produced most of The Fame notably Just Dance and Poker Face), and they evolve their signature sound with this fortress of a pop tune. Bad Romance comes at you fast and it hits hard. GaGa sings as if she's singing a hard rock tune, but it works with the song's intensity. The chorus is fantastic and soaring and as XO Middle Eight blogger wrote last week: "The chorus is beautiful. When she actually sings in a full, throaty voice she transforms into a sort of Eurodisco Joan Baez,". GaGa digs into her grimy lyrics making them sound raw and primal (and she sings in French at one point). The "oh oh oh" part of the chorus is stunning and extremely catchy. The album version has a lovely intro that I wish was part of the radio edit. In short, Bad Romance practically compels the listener to react whether that be through dancing or singing along or turning the volume up as high as it will go. This is a song to blast. This song bodes well for her future and shows how her sound has expanded over the course of a year. Simply magnificent. Also check out that single cover. It's so weird yet awesome at the same time. I love how we can't see her face, and that red fabric just pops! Great font!

The Fame: Monster will include 8 new songs (yay!) and will be released on Nov. 24, 2009! She starts a new tour, The Monster Ball Tour, in November.

Full Version

Lady GaGa + SNL

Saturday night Lady GaGa preceded to steal Saturday Night Live from its host, Ryan Reynolds the other night. She appeared with Madonna in the Deep House Dish skit, and they got into a mock catfight. The most exciting moment was when Keenan Thompson announced them and they had their backs to the audience and we weren't sure whether it was really them or not. Then it was! Awesome moment. Then, GaGa did a good version of Paparazzi complete with a dangerously red "outfit" leotard thing. Her male backup dancer was really into it. She did a fantastic medley of LoveGame, a little bit of her new song Bad Romance, and a sweet and moving piano version of Poker Face devoted to her hometown of New York all while wearing a bizarre solar system around her waist. Her voice was in fine form. Overall, it was glorious. The last thing she did was a skit with Andy Samberg that was a send-up of the bubble dress she wore on her Fame Ball Tour. They were both wearing the bubble dresses and attempting to kiss each other. It was pretty funny. GaGa was very likable and even though she's not the greatest actress, I ended up loving her more than I already do by the end of the episode. Also, she looked pretty with her long, flowing blond hair.







P.S. Her debut album The Fame will be released as The Fame Monster on Nov. 24 with new songs! The first single from it will be Bad Romance which I can't wait to hear the studio version of.

Crazy Sexy Cool

Carrie Underwood has released a delectable new single called Cowboy Casanova. I kind of knew I would love it from the title. It's a warning tune to all the gals out there who might fall for this "devil in disguise". The guitar riffs are down and dirty, and Carrie's vocals are gritty, low, and spot on. The whoa oh chorus just makes it better. Great lyrics as well. It's country, but not too twangy that I was turned off. Carrie looks good in the video in her saloon-esque outfits. She reminds me a little of Reese Witherspoon in it.



Britney Spears is releasing another Greatest Hits in November, and she's come out with a new single to hype it up. It's called 3 and I'll let you guess what it's about. I originally thought it was pretty weak, but after another listen its pop genius was revealed to me. The chorus is dumb, cheeky, campy, and catchy as hell. The lyrics are super sexual and pretty awesomely hilarious especially the whole Peter, Paul, and Mary reference. The best parts are the bridge before the chorus where Brit sings: "Are you in in? Living in sin is the new thing." and the middle eight where everything slows down. The producer is Brit's partner in crime, Max Martin who gave us If U Seek Amy, Stronger, Oops...I Did It Again, and Baby One More Time and he ups the camp and gleeful sexual hints to a new high. A super fun electro-pop romp.

Gleeks Unite

Glee proved itself this week with its episode entitled "Preggers". I've enjoyed Fox's new musical dramedy since it's sneak preview back in May, but this past week's episode really showed me how great the show was. It was the best episode so far. It was funny, sad, moving, and full of wonderful dancing and singing. Beyonce's Single Ladies dance played an essential role in the episode which revolved around gay glee club member Kurt trying out for the football team to make his Dad proud. The episode opens with Kurt performing a splendid black and white homage to Beyonce's original video complete with gal pal backup dancers. His Dad comes down to see him rehearsing this number and the girls with Kurt end up lying him into being on the football team. Kurt enlists the help of fellow glee club member Finn who is already on the football team (which is a terrible team by the way). Kurt tries out for kicker and warms up to Single Ladies before he makes an amazing kick and is put on the team. There are a few subplots going on here too. The best revolves around mean girl cheerleader Quinn's pregnancy. What i like about Glee is how it takes characters like Quinn who you think are one-note caricatures and turns them into people you really feel for. And the way Quinn's reveal to Finn was shot with a close-up of her face from Finn's perspective with him getting overwhelmed and not really being able to fully understand what she's saying because he's so shocked, was very effective. Also, scene stealer Jane Lynch continues to be hilarious as the cheerleading coach who now has her own segment on the local news. Jayma Mays of Ugly Betty is cute and likable as Glee club teacher Will's (Matthew Morrison) germaphobe crush. The whole cast is immensely talented. The football team's dance to Single Ladies was a high point of the episode. I'm completely on board now. And Kurt's coming out scene to his Dad was sweet and moving. Kurt has really been developed as a character since the first episode. He's not a caricature of a gay teen anymore. Sure he's campy and loves singing and dancing, but he is also a great football player. In Glee's world, you can do anything you want as long as you make it your own like Kurt did.